A Premier League club once came close to pulling off a huge signing of Lamine Yamal before he burst onto the scene at Barcelona.
On 29 April 2023, Yamal stepped onto the pitch as a senior Barcelona player for the first time, coming on as a substitue in a La Liga match against Real Betis at just 15-years-old.
Just two years later, the Spaniard has gone on to become one of the best players in the world and is currently valued by transfermarkt at a stunning €180.00million.
But before he became a household name, Yamal reportedly came close to joining a top Premier League side in a transfer that would have made them unstoppable.
With Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League and currently favourites to win La Liga this season with just a handful of matches left in the season, it’s clear that the Spanish giants are one of the top clubs in the world right now.
Therefore, it would likely be impossible to pry Yamal away from Hansi Flick’s side anytime in the near future, but that wasn’t the case in 2023 when Manchester City reportedly made attempts to sign him.
As reported by Spanish outlet Marca at the time, City went ‘all out’ for the Barcelona wonderkid, despite rumours that he could complete a controversial move to historic rivals Real Madrid.
The rumours were also reportedly backed up by Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s advisor Enric Masip, who admitted that there was a big chance Yamal could have left the club in the summer of 2023.
“Yamal and Alejandro Balde have been in a serious situation to leave this summer because there is a club that tried to ‘catch them'” Masip said, according to Radio Marca, via The Daily Mail.
Lamine Yamal has made 100 appearances for Barcelona. (Image: Getty)
The young winger was viewed by City as the perfect replacement for Riyad Mahrez and Cole Palmer who were both sold earlier in the window.
Ultimately, Yamal decided to extend his stay at Barcelona, singing a new deal that in October 2023, that keeps him at the club until 2026, with a release clause valued at €1 billion.
Although there is just over a year left on his current deal, recent reports suggest that he will soon extend his stay well past 2026.
